Flesh-eating bacteria' leads to amputation for Lower Salford man

John Flenders, 27, of Lower Salford, is a survivor of the nasty-sounding necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.”

“I feel lucky that all I lost is a bit of a pinky,” he said, comparing his recent partial digital amputation to that of University of Georgia student Aimee Copeland, whose battle with necrotizing fasciitis resulted in amputation of both feet, her entire right leg and most of both hands after being injured in a zip line accident last year.

Like Copeland, all it took was an opening of some kind in the skin for the bacteria to enter the body. Describing his experience as an unforeseen, freak occurrence, Flenders believes he came in contact with the bacteria in September while twice retrieving an errant football that had landed in a pond.

“There were plenty of times the ball was overthrown into the bushes. I’m pretty certain that I cut myself one of those times retrieving the football from the bushes,” he said.

The cut on his right little finger was so minor that he did not know it was there until the pain started at 1 a.m. that night. Although he said he put antibiotic ointment and a bandage on the cut, it was too late.

“Once it gets in your body, it’s relentless,” said Flenders of a potent strain of streptococcus pyogenes group A his doctors said led to rapid tissue destruction.

Two area infectious disease physicians interviewed for this story did so on the condition that their names not be used. Both said that as the name streptococcus indicates, it’s the same common organism that causes strep throat, which is why doctors tell you to stay home from work or school if you are ever diagnosed with strep throat. It’s also why they also tell you to wash your hands and disinfect cuts right away.

While streptococcus is usually killed off by antibiotics, instances do occur when it’s severe enough to cause deterioration of tissue and necrotizing fasciitis, they said.

“Group A streptococcus is lightning fast,” said Jacqueline Roemmele, executive director of the North Plainfield, N.J.-based National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation (NNFF). Those most at risk, she said, are children, especially children with open chicken pox sores, people who have just had surgery, and those with immune system issues.

After bandaging his cut, Flenders felt ill for most of the next day and called in sick to work. The pain got worse and the right side of his hand reddened, with the finger swelling around the bandage.

“Just an hour later, I could feel the pain progressing from my hand up my right arm,” he remembered.

Awoken by “excruciating, perpetuating, merciless throbbing pain” in the middle of the night, he soaked and iced his hand and took Tylenol until he could make it to the doctor’s office in the morning.

“There were red lines up my arm from the infection traveling up my veins, a sight I described as an aerial view of a red Amazon River,” Flenders said.

The doctor sent him to the emergency room at Grand View Hospital, which led to IV antibiotics and surgery, according to Flenders.

When the upsetting topic of amputation arose, “my mom had made some calls and got me transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia,” he said.

Despite additional antibiotic treatment, on Oct. 2, “the surgeon removed a little bit more than half of my right pinky,” said Flenders, describing the pre-amputation condition of his finger as a gruesome sight. A photo diary is posted at http://imgur.com/a/CuxUZ.

Due to the timing of election of medical benefits, health care expenses from the ordeal are all going to be out-of-pocket. Flenders’ family has launched an online fundraiser at www.indiegogo.com/johnboy9129. Also, a beef-and-beer benefit is in the works.

Flenders has since returned to work as an IT contractor for Adecco Engineering, and last week his stitches were removed.

“Practice good hygiene. Clean your cuts,” said Flenders. “People should know that this bacteria is out there.”

“I get (reports of necrotizing fasciitis) cases every single day from every part of the world. John is this young, vibrant, healthy person. He’s very lucky he lived,” Roemmele said.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other survivor stories. Visit www.nnff.organd look for the NNFF Facebook page.